levin



March 11 1924.

N. D. LEVIN MECHANISM FOR MINING COAL Original Filed March 3l. 1921 1N VEA/TOR .21 TTORNE Y WITNESSES.- AO' I Magic/wf# March 11 1924.

N. D. LEVIN MECHANISM FOR MINING COAL Original Filed March 3l. 1921 2 Shee'cs-Sheet 2 5%. f f Si JN VENTOR www A TT ORNE Y Patented Mar. 1l, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NILS D. LEVIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFERY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MECHANISM FOR MINING COAL.

Application led March 31, 1921, Serial No. 457,363.

To all whom t may concem.'

Be it known that I, NrLs D. LEVIN, a citizen oli' the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Mining Coal, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mechanism for mining coal, of the class adapted to mechanically dislodge and remove the coal from its native bed.

rlhe especial object of this invention is to provide, in a mechanism of the class described, an improved arrangement of parts adapted to form a horizontal kerf at the base of the coal vein, vertical kerfs'above said horizontal keri, and to exert pressure transversely of the vertical kerfs to dislodge the coal onto a suitably positioned conveyor to be transported thereby away from the working tace.

The devices by which I attain this object are fully set forth in the following specification and illustratedvin the accompanying drawings of Which- F ig. 1 is a general plan view of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the devices illustrated in F ig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1, and illustrating the successive steps in the operation of the machine.

Like numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures.

As shown in the drawings my improved coal mining mechanism is mounted upon a base frame comprising a steel plate 1, adapted to rest upon and slide in any direction over the floor of the mine, and stiiiened by suitable structural steel shapes such as the vangle bars 2, 3 and A. Rigidly attached to the base plate 1 is the mechanism by which is formed a horizontalkerf extending along the coal face at the base of the vein. This mechanism comprises a motor 5, a gear supporting and enclosing housing 6 and a hori- Renewed August 6, 1923.

zontally extending inwardly projecting cutter arm 7. The critter arm 7 is of well known construction having a cutter chain 8 provided with renewable cutter bits 9 adapted to engage the coal to cut it. Mounted upon the housing frame 6 is a winding drum 10 upon which is windable a feed cable 11 the free end of which is adapted to be connected to a suitable anchor in advance of the machine towards which the base frame 1 and the mechanism mounted thereon may be bodily moved by the winding of the rope 11 upon the drum 10. A second winding drum 12 is mounted upon the housing 6 and upon this drum is windable the guide rope 13 the free end of which is adapted to be attached to a suitable anchor jack at the rear of the machine. By the tensioning of the guide rope 13 the angular relation of the entire mechanism relative to the direction of its advance along the coal face may be controlled in a manner well understood in the art. Suitable gearing is provided within the housing 6 to connect the motor 5 with the cutter chain 8, and the winding drums 10 and 12, to actuate them, but as these devices are well understood in the mining machine art, and as their details form no part of the present invention, their illustration and description at this time is not thought to be required.

The angle bars 3 and 4 are arranged parallel and in suitable spaced relation to each other, and constitute a guide Way along which the supplemental frame 14 is slidable. Mounted upon the supplemental frame 14 is the cutting mechanism by which is formed the vertical kerfs in the coal above the horizontal kerf. This cutting mechanism comprises an elongated cutter arm 15, similar to the arm 7, disposed in a vertical plane, and provided with a cutter chain 16 having renewable cutter bits 17 adapted to engage the coal to cut it. The cutter chain 16 travels around, and is actuated by a sprocket wheel 18 mounted upon the horizontal driving shaft 19. The cutter arm 15 is supported by a suitable bearing 2O for rotation about said horizontal driving shaft 19. A suitable train of gearing 21, 22, 23

and 24 connects the driving shaft 19 with the motor 25 to actuate the cutter chain 15. A suitable hydraulic jack 2G is arranged to rotate the cutter arm 15 about the shaft 19, and the hydraulic jack 2G is actuated by a pump 27 and controlled by a suitable valve 28 convenient to the hand of the operator. The pump 27 may be of any preferred construction, and actuated from any convenient source ofpower. In the drawings l have shown, for purposes oi illustration, a pump of well known construction arranged to be actuated by an eccentric 29 from the power devices of theV machine.

Mounted upon the base frame la are two windingdrums 30 and 31, either of which may be actuated from the motor 25 through suitable gearing including the clutch mechanism 32. Upon the drums 30 and 31 are windable the ropes 33 and 34; respectively. The rope 33 is connected to the housing G and, when tensioned by the rotation oi the drum, will draw the base frame lil towards the housing 6 to thrust the cutter aria lo longitudinally7 into the coal to malte a suinping or entering cut. rihe rope ist att cheri to the base frame 1 and, by the rotation oit the drum 30, will draw the base une outwardly to withdraw the cutter arm 15 from the coal.

Mounted within the cutter frame 15 near its inner extremity, is a hydraulic jack 35 of well known construction adapted to elongation transversely of the cutter arm 15 to exert pressure upon the opposite walls` oi the kerl produced by the cutter chain 16. The hydraulic ack 35. is connected through suitable tubing with the pump 27 and is controlled by the valve 36 positioned conveniently to the hand of the operator. A s the details of the construction of such jacks are Well understood and forni no part in the present invention, further description is not thought to be required at this time.

Mounted upon the bed plate 1 and extending along its rearward edge, is an. elongated conveyor 37 comprising the parallel troughs 38 and 39 along which travel the scraper flights ll0 which are propelled by a suitable endless chain, not shown in the drawings, to carry material longitudinally of the trough in the manner well understood in the art. Ait its inner end the conveyor 37 lies in horizontal planes included between the bounding horizontal planes of the horizontal korf, and is adapted to be carried into said kerlz as the machine moves forwardly to be in position to receive the fragments ot coal as they are dislodged. Outside of the vertical plane of the coal face the conveyor 87 inclines upwardly and outwardly to a discharge point sufilciently elevated to deliver coal into any suitable device for its removal from pronimity with the working face. For purposes of illustration l have shown in the draw- Lacasse ings longwall conveyor 41 of well known construction. arranged parallel to the coal iface in position to receive material from the delivery end of the conveyor 37 as the machine advances. Elowever, this conveyor Yforms no part. in the present invention and any other suitable means might be employed for bearing away the dislodged coal from the delivery end of the conveyor 37. A motor l2 is mounted upon the underside of the conveyor and is connected through suitable gearing' i3 with the devices by which the conveyor flights are actuated.

ln the operation of mining coal with my i iproved apparatus the mechanism above described is positioned in suitable relation to the coal 'face atthe rearward end of the working face, and the cutter arm 7 is inserted beneath the coal to form the horizontal lreli the base of the vein. The feed rope 1i is connected to a suitable anchor jack in advance of the machine, the guide rope connected to a suitable jack at the rear of the machine, and the longwall conveyor l1 adjusted in proper relation with 'he delivery end o'f the conveyor, as illustrated in. the drawings. By the actuation of the winding drum 10 the machine is lrawn bodily forward and, when it has advanced to a suiiicient distance, the winding An 10 is disconnected from its driving device to interrupt the advancing motion of the machine. By means oit the hydraulic jack tl'ie vertical cutter arm 15 is moved upwardly until its inner end reaches the elevation ci the roof, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The winding drum 31 is then actuated to adiff'ance the bed plate 11i thereby forcing the cutter arm 15 longitudinally into the coal, to the position illustrated in Fig. 1i. rEhe cutter arni is then lowered, to the position illustrated in Fig. 5, to complete the vertical hert. After the completion ci" the vertical lieri the hydraulic jack is actuated to exert pressure upon the walls oit the vertical kerf to break off a portion ci the coal, and by successively moving the cutter arm 15 upwardly and outwardly and by applying pressure at the Successive positions, successive fragments may be broken away until the entire section` between the vertical kerf and the end of the coal tace has been broken away. When the cutter arm has been returned to its initial position outside of the coal face, as illustraied in c, the winning drum 10 may be again actuated to move the machine foruf'ardly and the operation repeated ad lib-` ituin.

lt is to be understooo` that l do not limit inyselzt to the precise construction illusform a horizontal kerf at the base of the vein, under certain conditions this mechanism may be modified so as to form the hori- Y zontal kerf at the top of the vein or at some intermediate position between the top and the bottom so as to remove a band of impurity or avoid a sulphur band. In such a case the conveyor 30 may be modified so as to terminate outside the vertical plane of the coal face and auxiliary devices of any preferred character such as are Well known in the art may be provided to gather the dislodged coal onto the conveyor.

vWhat l claim is l. In a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination With a main frame adapted to horizontal movement along the face of the vein, cutting mecha nism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf at the base of the vein, means to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mechanism to engz'ige the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said movable cutting mechanism relative to the main frame to form a vertical kerf in the coal above said horizontal kerf, and means carried by said movable cutting mechanism in to said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof to dislodge the coal adjacent thereto.

2. In a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination with a main frame adapted to horizontal movement along the face of the vein, cutting mechanism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf at the base of the vein, means to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mechanism to engage the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said movable cutting mechanism relative to the main frame to form a vertical kerf in the coal above said horizontal kerf, and optionally controlled pressure exerting mechanism carried by said movable cutting mechanism into said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof to dislodge the coal adjacent thereto.

3. In a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination With a main frame adapted to horizontal movement along the face of the vein, cutting mechanism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf at the base of the vein, means to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mechanism to engage the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said cutting mechanism relative to said main frame to form a kerf in the coal above said horizontal kerf, and hydraulically actuated pressure exerting mechanism carried by said movable cutting mechanism into said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof to dislodge the coal adjacent thereto.

l. ln a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination with a main frame adapted to horizontal movementalong the face of the vein, cutting mechanism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf at the base of the vein, n eans to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mechanism to engage the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said cutting mechanism both horizontally and vertically to form a vertical kerf in the coal above said horizontal kerf, and hydraulically actuated pressure exerting mechanism carried by said movable cutting mechanism into said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof to dislodge thea coal adjacent thereto.

5. In a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination With a main frame adapted to horizontal movement along the face of the vein, cutting mechanism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf, means to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mecha.- nism to engage the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said cutting mechanism relative to the main frame to form a vertical kerf in said coal, and means carried by said movable cutting mechanism in said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof to dislodge the coal adjacent thereto.

6. In a mechanism for breaking coal out of the solid, the combination With a main frame adapted to horizontal movement along the face of the vein, cutting mechanism attached to said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf, means to bodily move said main frame to cause said cutting mechanism to engage the coal to cut it, cutting mechanism mounted upon said main frame and movable relative thereto, means to move said cutting mechanism relative to said main frame to form al vertical kerf in the coal, and hydrostatically actuated pressure exerting mechanism carried by said movable cutting mechanism into said vertical kerf to exert pressure transversely thereof and dislodge the coal adjacent thereto.

7. In an apparatus for mining coal, the combination with a main frame adapted to be moved along lines parallel to the coal face, cutting mechanism projecting horizontally from said main frame and adapted to form a horizontal kerf in the coal, a conveyor in iixed relation with said cutter mechanism adapted to be carried into the kerf formed thereby, cutting mechanism nism into said vertical kerf to exert pressure mounted upon said main frame and'm'ovable transversely thereof to break down the coal relative thereto, means to move said cutting uponV said conveyor as for the purpose set 10 mechanism relative to said main frameto forth.

5 form a vertical kerf in the coal', and hydraul[1'f1 testimony whereof, I ax my signalcally actuated pressure exerting mechature. l nism carried by said movable cutting mecha- -NILS D. LEVIN. 

